Chap. 18. about Blafphemy. I r8; we are to appeal to the Lord the fearcher ofour hearts , as the fupream judge and having the teftimonyofour confciences to bear witneffe with us , we are to protell our innocency : and fo to difavow thefe wicked fuggeftions , and to protclt fuch hatred of them , that we would rather die a thoufanddeaths then yeeld the leaf+ affent to them. Thirdly,we are not tomake filch account of there fuggeflionsas that therby ou: III. únderftandtn.zs (hould be dulled, our minds diftratled,our fences altonilhed, and our hearts difcouraged, fo as to be made unfit for the fervice ofGod and the du- ties ofcharity to our brerhren,and the duties ofour particular callings. Objet . This indeed were agood courfe forfuch de. have quiet minds : but I amfodiffratled in every holy duty, with theftblafphrmotes fuggeflions, that I cannot perform them withund: rflanding , fo that they b. come unpr f cable to me , and (I fear) they are turned into fin ? e/Infw. Though thou cana not perform there duties as thou wouldit, yet do them as well as thou canft : yea the more thou arc troubled in them , be the more earned in doing of them ; for they are the belt weapons to repell Satan, whereof ifSatan can difarme thee he will be fure to prevaile. They are Gods Ordinances, and therefore though thou finde no prefent goodby them,yet thou muado them in obedience to Gods command : And fo in the end thou fhalt finde that God accepts thy endeavours , and will pardon thy infirmities, and give fuch abletfing CO them by hisSpirit, that they (hall brim; joy and com- fort to thy heart. Fourthly, we mudnot revolve thefe blafphemous fuggeflions in our minds, IV. nor fuffer them to refide in our thoughts , butforcibly withaand themwhen we find them fira entring : or if they be entred before we be aware, we are prefent- ly to reje& them, andentertain into our mindes fome heavenly meditations , which will keep them fromeafie re-entrance. Fifthly, wemull have a fpecial careto avoid idleneffe, and folitarineffe, and Y. fpend all our time either in holyexercifes , or in the duties of our lawful cal- lings : For idleneffe. preparesus for tentations, and makes our hearts , like un- n anured ground,fit tobring forth nothingbut weeds : and folitarineffe bringsin this cafe a heavy woe with it, Ecclef. 4. ro. giving Satan a great advantage a- gainft us : which made the Devil when he tempted Chria co make choiceofthe wilderneffe, having bymanifold experience found that fuch folitary places are fitteft for his purpofe. Sixthly, if for all this we cannotbe rid of them , we mutt not tooearnefily VI. ftrive againa them , or be overmuch grieved with them ; but feeing they are Satans fins, andnotours, if we abhor and firive againft them, we mull conflantly go on in our courfeofgodlinefte,and righteoufneffe,andfo let thempaffe as they come without being difmaied at them. Mr. DownamsGhriflian warfare. CHAP.
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